Connector for electric wires.



A. B. SIMPSON.

CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

APPLICATION PIL BD APILS, 1913.

Patented Mar. 24, 19M

INVENTOR W (1) I WITNESSES ALEXANDER, B. SIMPSON, or JERSEY crrY," new JERSEY.

CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRIC WIRES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.24,1914.

\ Application filed April 3, 1913. Serial Ito 758,549.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER B. SIMP- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Jersey City, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Connectors for Electric Wires, of which the following is a specification.

-nut by the act of My invention consists of an improvement on connectors used for joining electric wires together so as to make electric connection between them.

In connecting electric wires together by means of the ordinary threaded binding post and nut, the wire is very apt to be squeezed away from the binding post and tightening up the nut, thus breaking the electric connection; and this breakage often occurs Without being detected. 7 V I My improvement consists in combining, with the threaded binding post and nut, a folded strip of conducting metal or material interposed between. the nut and the head of the binding post, between the folds of which strip when opened the ends of the wires to be connected are inserted and wrapped around the binding post, so that when the nut is screwed up, it will tightly and securely bind the wires between the folds of the strip and thus-make a secure and effective physical and electrical connection between the wires.

In order that my invention may be fully understood I shall first describe in detail the mode in which the invention is carried into practice and then distinctly claim the invention.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification in which like parts are designated by the same letters in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view 'of a connector embodying my invention joining six wires.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the same. Fig. 3 is a view of a similar connector designed to join any number up to nine wires. Fig. 4 is a view of a modified form of my connector designed to join up to six wires. Fig. 5 is another view of the connector shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 isa view of the metal strip used in the connector shown in Figs. 1 and 2, before the strip is folded.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the wires, here shown as insulated, are 10. The connector shown in these two figdesignated by the number Fig. 6, of brass, tin or other preferably soft or pllable metal folded upon itself, in this Instance twice reversely, to form the substantially parallel folds 14, 15 and 16.

Through the folds 14, 15 and 16 are passed, 1n this example, three threaded binding posts 17, 18 and 19, on the threaded ends of which are screwed against the outer fold 14 the corresponding binding nuts 20, 21 and 22, so that the folds 14, 15 and 16 are confined between the nuts 20, 21 and 22, and the heads of the binding posts. On screwmg up and unscrewing the nuts 20, 21 and 22, the folds 14, 15 .and 16 can be closed and opened up at will.

The ends'ofthe several wires 10 to be electrically connected are inserted between any of the folds 14, 15 and 16, as shown for example in Fig. 1, and the ends of the wires bent around any of the posts 17 18 and 19, and the appropriate nuts 20, 21 and 22 are then screwed up tightly against the outer fold 14 so as to securely bind the wires between the folds 14, 15 and 16 to their respective binding posts and make the electrical connection of the wires secure. By simply loosening any nut or nuts and opening the proper folds the corresponding wire or wires can be easily disconnected without disturbing the connection of the other wires, owing to the pliability of the metal strip.

The connector 23 shown in Fig. 3 has an additional fold and is designed to join any number up to nine separate wires as will be evident.

In'the modification shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the connector has only one binding post 26, and the pliable folded strip 27 has seven folds between the head 28 of the binding post 26 and the binding nut 29, thus accommodating up to six wires between the folds.

It is evident that both the number and arrangement of binding posts and the number and arrangement of binding folds in my invention can be varied almost indefinitely according to the uses to which the connector is to be'put and the number of wires to be connected, without departing from the boundaries of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A connector consisting of a strip of pliable conducting metal bent into a plurality of folds with alined post holes in opposite folds, one or more. threaded binding ures consists of a flexible strip 13, shown in v posts passed through said alined post holes and having a head on one end and a nut screwed on the other end. respectively bearing against the outer folds, and a plurality of wires passed through the respective folds and wrapped around the parts of the binding post between the respective folds, the nuts being screwed upon the binding posts to clamp the several folds together and clamp and connect the wire loops between said folds, substantially as set forth.

2. A connector consisting of a strip of pliable conducting metal folded two or more times reversely upon itself and having post holes alined through the several folds, 15

end of said binding post and a plurality of wires passed through the respective folds and wrapped around the respective parts of 20 the binding post, the binding nuts clamping the loops of said wires between the respective folds and around the binding post, substantially as set forth. 7

ALEXANDER B. SIMPSON. In presence of' CLARENCE L. BURGER, GEORGE J. MCDONNELL. 

